Sleep Demons: An Insomniac’s Memoir

For as far back as he can remember, Hayes has had trouble sleeping. He’d wander his parents’ house at night, “existing on nothing but the fumes of consciousness,” jealously wondering how everyone else slipped into dreamland so easily. From these nocturnal ramblings grew an unblinking, lifelong fascination with sleep (or the absence of it), which Hayes has transmuted into a skilled and graceful debut that variously reads like a journey of scientific discovery, a personal memoir and a literary episode of Ripley’s Believe It or Not.

Reviews

“A skilled and graceful debut that variously reads like a journey of scientific discovery, a personal memoir, and a literary episode of Ripley’s Believe It or Not….An intelligent, beautifully written book, Hayes’ curious hybrid will delight readers who snore past dawn as well as those who pace away while the midnight oil burns.”— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Yes, the author needs some rest, but his beautiful book seems just compensation for all his wakeful hours.”— Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice)

“Sleep Demons is a lovely weave of memory and science, great characters and compassionate humor. Insomniacs will love it for the sense of connection and solution; the rest of your (grrr) for its wisdom and wonderful writing.”— Anne Lamott, author of Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird